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While college football teams around the nation are beginning spring practices, getting ready for the upcoming season, everyone at the next level is preparing to select their players in the NFL Draft next month. Penn State is projected to have a player taken in the first round for the third straight year, with guard Olaivavega Ioane being the candidate this time. Many mock drafts have him going in the middle of the first round, and it is no different for Mel Kiper Jr.
ESPN’s longtime draft expert has Ioane landing with the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 21st pick, where he would team up with a handful of other Nittany Lions players, namely Jaquan Brisker, who just joined them in free agency a couple of weeks back. The Steelers used to have one of the best offensive lines in football back in their heyday, but things really went downhill at the end of Ben Roethlisberger’s career, and they haven’t improved much since. While they’d likely need much more to make the unit serviceable, Ioane would be a great building block.
The First-team All-American is known for his brute strength, which would be a perfect fit in Pittsburgh’s scheme. Mike McCarthy is one of the older coaches in the NFL and runs a more conventional, old-school offense, where there isn’t a ton of pull blocks, traps, or kickouts. This is perfect for Ioane, who we know is a top-tier blocker, but isn’t the most versatile athlete. He would not only be in the perfect situation scheme-wise, but he could also get a chance to protect one of the greatest quarterbacks in league history in Aaron Rodgers.
There is a chance he returns to the Steelers this year, and there is undoubtedly some wisdom he can pass down to Ioane. After all, he’s played with some elite offensive linemen over his 21 years in the NFL. Pittsburgh could be an ideal landing spot for Ioane, so let’s see if Kiper Jr.’s latest prediction is correct.
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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State All-American OL joins Steelers in Mel Kiper’s mock draft
Continue reading...
ESPN’s longtime draft expert has Ioane landing with the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 21st pick, where he would team up with a handful of other Nittany Lions players, namely Jaquan Brisker, who just joined them in free agency a couple of weeks back. The Steelers used to have one of the best offensive lines in football back in their heyday, but things really went downhill at the end of Ben Roethlisberger’s career, and they haven’t improved much since. While they’d likely need much more to make the unit serviceable, Ioane would be a great building block.
The First-team All-American is known for his brute strength, which would be a perfect fit in Pittsburgh’s scheme. Mike McCarthy is one of the older coaches in the NFL and runs a more conventional, old-school offense, where there isn’t a ton of pull blocks, traps, or kickouts. This is perfect for Ioane, who we know is a top-tier blocker, but isn’t the most versatile athlete. He would not only be in the perfect situation scheme-wise, but he could also get a chance to protect one of the greatest quarterbacks in league history in Aaron Rodgers.
There is a chance he returns to the Steelers this year, and there is undoubtedly some wisdom he can pass down to Ioane. After all, he’s played with some elite offensive linemen over his 21 years in the NFL. Pittsburgh could be an ideal landing spot for Ioane, so let’s see if Kiper Jr.’s latest prediction is correct.
Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X and Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State All-American OL joins Steelers in Mel Kiper’s mock draft
Continue reading...
